Saving Money on Prescription Medications

Here is our 6-step tutorial on how you can save money on your prescriptions. Instead of paying too much for your pills, channel your hard earned money into healthy activities that sooth your soul and strengthen your muscles. Here are our top 6 ways to save!

1. Ask About Generic Options Generic drugs are usually MUCH less expensive than name brands. If you aren't taking the generic version of a medication you are on, you might just be throwing money down the drain, and lots of it. This is the number one suggestion for a reason, so go ask your doctor today if it is time to switch to generics.

2. Look Into Splitting Higher-Dose Pills Lots of pills cost the same amount of money even if they contain twice as much medication as a different dose. An 80 mg pill is often close in price to a pill with 40 mg of the the EXACT same drug. If your medication is safe for pill splitting, then you can save a boatload of money, just ask your doctor. Then, if your doctor agrees, they can prescribe twice the dosage and you can split your pills in half at home. You must not do this without your doctor's and pharmacist's consent, because many pills are not safe to split. These include time-released drugs, coated pills, and capsules. If your doctor doesn't know, ask your pharmacist, or better than that, ask them both.

3. Talk Openly With Your Doctor Doctors don't usually know how much medications cost, because they aren't usually on the ones that they prescribe. So, talk about it. The best medication regimen is one that you can AFFORD! Review all your medications with your health care provider from time to time. If you’ve been taking a drug for a long time, it’s possible you no longer need it or could switch to something that is newer and/or less expensive.

4. Negotiate!! Pharmacies adjust their prices to be competitive just like any other retailer, and you CAN negotiate. If one pharmacy has the best prices around on all but one medication you’re taking, ask if they can give you a discount. Relationships rule the world these days, and your pharmacists values your business, and is often willing to go to some great lengths to keep you coming back.

5. Find Patient Assistance Programs Pharmaceutical companies have programs that provide their drugs at deep discounts or even free all sorts of people that need them. If you have a prescription for a high-cost drug, check out the company’s web site to see if they offer assistance. Odds are that they do. NeedyMeds.Org lists over 5,000 such programs, so start your search, and save some money, today.

6. Join a drug trial if your Doctor Recommends it. Drug trials happen everywhere, all the time, for a myriad of new and reformulated medications. If your doctor thinks that you are a good candidate, and if you agree and meet the requirements of the trial, then you might want to consider joining. If you do, the cost of the medication in the trial is covered.